Fear Is The Enemy, You Are The Remedy
by Sakimoto Ritsuko
Summary: A common love story featuring Aomine and Kagami, our two beloved idiotic aces. AoKaga. One-shot.


Here I bring you another AoKaga one-shot! Man, I really love one-shots. On with the story, this is a common love story as mentioned in the summary. I just want to write something like this. The common AhoBaka couple. I'll stop rambling now, enjoy~

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My name is Aomine Daiki. Due to my charismatic physique, I have been confessed to a lot of times until I lost count. I admit my charm but from what others say about me, I'm a dick. An asshole. An arrogant jerk. However, the confessions I get still kept coming. I have always wondered why am I so popular with girls. I'm proficient in basketball, a prodigy at it even. I guess that's why they were attracted to me. But I don't think that is the reason alone.

I've received too many confessions that it boosted my ego to another level. I was cocky, but now I'm even cockier. Because of that, I take women as granted(Satsuki not included). I'm never worried about being alone for my whole life. There are plenty of women willing to drop their panties for me, I can pick them up on any streets. They come and go as I please. That's why I never treasure them. _Didn't_ know how to treasure them.

But there was this one time I fell for a girl.

It was when I was still at Teikou Middle School, when I got crowned as the Ace of Teikou Basketball Team.

It all started in a beautiful spring afternoon. I was still enthusiastic about basketball, giving it my all. I was excited to reach the gym at that time. As I passed by a sakura tree that was situated not far away from the gym, a feminine voice stopped me. I turned to look at her and I was awestricken.

She had her brown hair which looks like soft cotton candy tied into a ponytail at the lower right side of her head, tightened with a blue checkered ribbon. Her cheeks were red from, I don't know if it's the coldness or the shyness when seeing me, but it made her a beauty. Her eyes widened when they met mine, darting away immediately and looked everywhere but me. I tilted my head to the side.

"Um, do you need anything?" I asked coyly. Her shyness must have took effect on me back then. I walked towards her slowly, not trying to startle her.

"A-Ah, um," She looked around before decided to settle down on the ground.

"Yes…" Her voice was so soft in the swishing sakuras.

"Oh." I didn't know what to give as a respond. I stopped a few feet away from her, looking at the side and rubbing my neck awkwardly.

There was a moment of silent before she spoke again.

"Please go out with me!" Her voice suddenly became so frantic that it caught me unaware. I twisted my neck so fast to face her that I was afraid I might injure it. My eyes widened unconsciously. She bowed while handing out a pink envelope with her arms straightened. Her whole posture was so stiff that I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. She immediately looked back up and her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She then withdrew her letter and clutched it tightly to her chest as she looked away, worrying her lower lip.

"Sorry, didn't mean to laugh." I smiled as I gave my apology, blushing faintly.

"It's okay, I know I'm awkward." She mumbled, still averting my eyes. I felt bad.

"Hey, you were saying?"

As if suddenly reminded of something, she yanked her head up and looked at me, her face as red as a tomato now.

"I-I was wondering…i-if you can…g-go out…" She was fidgeting all the way as she spoke, fiddling with the letter as her head lowered an inch each time a syllabus flew out. Getting tired of waiting, I gave her an answer.

"Sure."

As if the time stopped, we stared at each other. She was genuinely surprised at my answer, I can see it in her eyes; but me, I was surprised at my own answer too. I didn't even know her and yet, I agreed to date her. The sakura flew by our sight as the wind gently presses against our cheek. The time resumed.

I reached out a hand towards her and landed it on her head, she jolted in surprise. Her hair was surely soft. I gingerly picked up a sakura petal and lowered it to her eye-level.

"You got one on your head." I grinned at her. She blinked at the pink petal and jolted, looking up at me frantically and I swear she's tearing up. I let out another chuckle and bent my knees to meet her brown eyes. I placed a palm on one of my knees and rubbed a thumb at the corner of her eye as a tear was threatening to fall.

"What are you crying for? I accepted your feelings, didn't I?" A smile slipped pass my lips.

She stared at me for a while with gratitude and jubilee glinting in her eyes, increasing her charm, before giving me a firm nod. She rubbed her tears with one hand, another still holding onto the envelope protectively.

"Thank you." She finally smiled. That was when I fell in love with her.

I was late to practice that day and got extra practices but I didn't complain. I was still giving my all but they said I was unusually happy on that day. I grinned and told them they'll find out after practice. And that time came. She was waiting for me at the school gate. Everyone went agape at the sight of me running to her with a joyful grin. No need my explanation, all of them understood. The walk home I had with her on that day was beyond anything I could ask for.

We made quite a cute couple. The whole school knew about us within two days thanks to my reputation in the basketball club. Everyone congratulated her for being the luckiest girl in the world to have dated me. Everything went out just fine—no, _perfect_ even. Although we were in different classes, we would always meet each other during lunch break, walking up to the roof as our secret palace. We exchanged a lot of stories about each other. I once asked her why she liked me and she answered with a gentle smile.

"Aomine-kun may not remember but you helped me once, when I couldn't reach for a book in the library."

I couldn't remember, I don't even know I stepped into the library before. But she didn't mind. She then rebooted the question back at me. I said it was because that was the first confession I got and her smile. She laughed softly when she saw how flustered I was when admitting it. I may like her smile but after seeing this, I'm in love with her laughter

I wish time could stop at that moment, where everything was so—_perfect_.

However, fate tricked me; I started to bloom in basketball, rapidly. Basketball became boring for me, worthless even. _No,_ it wasn't basketball, it was the people playing it. They were just too weak that I lost interest in my favorite sport. I started to blame everyone that were weak and my enthusiasm for basketball dwindled. I became grumpy and easily angered. I was devastated. I hated basketball. I gave up.

But she never gave up on me. She continued to be by my side, soothing me when I get irritated at people. I was really grateful to her. At that time, we shared our first kiss.

Things got better after the kiss. I started to attend training more often and acted less grumpy. I would control myself and gave the weak another chance, not scolding them for being weak like I first did. Everything was turning sunny, until one tournament. I realized it was fruitless to be the good guy when everyone's so fixated on going against me. I gave it my all in that game, but did they? No. That tournament was the worst. The friendship between Tetsu and I broke; not only that, I yelled at her, my most beloved _her_. My first lover.

"You don't know anything so just shut the hell up!" I bristled and slapped her hand that was going to comfort me away with a rude swat. I instantly knew I did something wrong and hurried to apologize.

"It's okay, I'll still stay with Aomine-kun." She smiled, not the smile that I fell for, but a sad one. I felt a pang of regret when I saw that. I thought a kiss would cure that agony but when I pressed my lips against hers, she was trembling beneath me.

We broke up two days later.

I was the one who suggested it. She, of course, objected it strongly and asked for a reason, but I couldn't give her one. I can't. I knew, if this continues, I might end up hurting her. I didn't want that. She was my first true love. So I settled with toying with her feelings. She couldn't believe her ears, her eyes were filled with disbelief _and doubt. _Then tears prickled down her cheeks like pearls.

I didn't wipe them off this time and left. Luckiest girl? I'd say the opposite. Having to endure such a pain even when she did nothing wrong. I hated myself. Even now I regretted saying that, the hurt on her face, will it be the same if I ended up _really_ hurting her? The heck am I thinking? I already hurt her with those words.

She loved me so.

I never knew how she is doing right now. After our dramatic break-up, I never paid attention to anything except basketball. I only played because I was obligated to, not because I like it. Not anymore. For the rest of the time I spent them at the rooftop. Wasn't a smart choice since it reminded me of her but that's the only place I can be in. I don't want to see her. But I've always wished her happiness.

I graduated smoothly afterwards. My middle school life was lifeless and never memorable. I never knew I would end up like this. What did I do wrong, God, that I have to endure such punishment?

When I thought everything was going downhill, _he _appeared.

Kagami Taiga. He is annoying. Loud. Hot-headed. Noisy. Easily frustrated. Loud. Everything I hated the most in a girl. But he is a guy. Those are his cons, which are obviously more than his pros. He is competitive, determined and strong; everything I wanted in an opponent. Kagami was the first one to defeat me, with the help of Tetsu. He can never beat me in a one-on-one. Even so, I admired his willpower, his resolve to bring his team to victory. I laughed at it at first because I knew I was unstoppable, but he dragged me down from my high-and-mighty state, harshly. I felt pain at that time, not a pain I would cry for but a pain I've longed for.

After the Winter Cup, we hang out almost thrice a week, sometimes even more than that. I would ask him out for a game of one-on-one and we'll play till the sun sets and grab something to eat at Maji Burger for dinner. On certain occasions when we're tired of fast food, I'd have dinner at Kagami's house. Did I mention he's one hell of a cook? He cooks the most delicious meal. I used to make fun of him, saying something like a guy as huge as him cooking was funny, I still now. The only thing that changed is, I find it cute.

Being with Kagami is never restricting. I can be myself; be as gross as I want and as lax as I want. One thing I enjoy being with Kagami is pushing his buttons. The reactions I get from him are exhilarating and amusing. I found my life climbing up another step to a sunny spring.

Kagami is a glutton. His monstrous belly that seems like it can contain every food in the world frightens me yet I find it adorable when he stuffs food into his mouth like a squirrel with its nuts. I'd tease him and poke his belly whenever I finishes eating and he's not. He would be annoyed and slap my hand away at first but as time passes, he decides to ignore me. Now even humoring my actions by giving smart remarks and smugly formed expressions. Proud of his large appetite as always.

I really love being with Kagami. If my life wasn't so depressing, I would have confessed to him a long time ago. The only thing that stopped me from doing it is my promise to myself never to fall in love again and Kagami's smile that is too similar to hers.

Every time I made Kagami smile or grin, a smile would slip pass my lips but my heart would ache. Kagami's smile reminds me so much of her and the painful memories. I was always a hair's strand away from blurting out my feelings to Kagami but what blocked me from that door was my own thoughts: What if I hurt him like how I hurt her? I don't want to experience the same thing twice. No one's better off with me. I should leave Kagami alone to find his own, deserved happiness.

I'm not some guy with a big heart. I might say I never wanted to fall in love again because I'm afraid I might hurt someone again, but that's not the whole thing. True, I don't want to hurt anyone anymore, but a larger part of me, a part which I denied since the beginning, told me that I'm just afraid _I _might get hurt again. Cowardice, aren't I? Talking big. Truth is, I'm actually tired of getting hurt again. Being with Kagami right now will suffice. I shouldn't take a step further. Everything's fine the way it is.

But I love Kagami so much it hurts.

I've wondered if Kagami likes me too when I'm alone. But that's a no-no, right? Who'd fall for such a douchebaggery, assholic, arrogant jerk? Even if they do, I don't think I can treat them nicely after her. But the thought of Kagami ever liking me and my inability to like him back because I'm a coward feared me. That would be what I'd ever wish for, Kagami's love, but just because I'm a coward, I'd reject it. I want my old self back, when I don't do this much thinking. Acting as I like. Doing what I want. _Getting_ what I want. But it was my old self that hurt her.

I'm contradicting myself it's exhausting.

I wish I can just close my eyes and disappear into the sky then I would be free from this pain. No more thinking. No more hurting. No more regretting what I've ever did wrong. No more…

_Beep— Beep— Beep—_

I snap my eyes open and am greeted with a familiar looking white ceiling. I blink my eyes a few times, gathering the pieces of my mind before reaching out for my phone. I flip it open and see a new message. I punch a button to open and read it.

_From: Bakagami_

_Time: 3:54PM_

_Subject: No subject_

_Hey, u free now? U mind coming to the basketball court? I've something to tell u._

I arch an eyebrow at the bright screen. _What's he got to say?_ I ponder in my head and feel a sudden headache. I forgot I was using too much brain cells just now. It's a Saturday today so it wouldn't matter if I stayed out late. I punch a few buttons to send my agreement. I jump out of the bed and get ready.

The walk to the public basketball court we always meet up isn't long, 10 minutes give or take. When the court is in my sight, I can see Kagami standing at the middle of the concrete court. He shifts his weight from one leg to another when he sees me, mumbling a soft "Hey."

"What's that you wanna tell me?" I start, cutting to the chase as I stuff my hands into my pockets.

"Uh. It's—"

"Finally decided to admit you can never win me in a one-on-one?" I interrupt, smirking when Kagami gives me a blanched look which morphs into an annoyed one later.

"No."

"Then what? Sorry for everything you did that offended me? I accept your apology." I give a sincere nod.

"You're the most cock-blocking shit I've ever met, y'know that?" Kagami says peevishly and shakes his head. "I've lost my mood to confess." He mumbles but loud enough for me to hear.

"Confess?" I reiterate, raising a brow.

"Yeah," A faint blush of burgundy shades Kagami's cheeks.

"I like you, Aomine."

I widen my eyes. A gust of wind blows by, detaching the weak leaves from their branches, causing them to dance along the wind, passing in front of us. Kagami lowers his head and squints his eyes at the sudden breeze. A leaf falls onto his hair. At that moment I'm reminded of the first confession I received. But this time I don't remove the leaf from Kagami's head.

Kagami shakes his head and ruffles his hair with his hand, trying to get rid of anything that landed on his unruly red hair

I stare at Kagami apathetically, eyes widening in dread as the pictures of my time with her flash across my mind incessantly. Her blush when we first met to the tears stained cheeks when I hurt her. I start to shake, lips quivering to open and say something.

"Hey, Aomine. Aomine!" Kagami shakes my forearm. I stare at his hand, gripping in trepidation before moving to his face. He is worried. Calling out my name so desperately. His split eyebrows curled upwards with fret. I've never seen Kagami like this. Have I hurt him? A sudden pang of paranoia hits me.

"Don't touch me!" I jolt away from him, swatting his hand away. A stab of pain anguished me when Kagami's face twisted into shock, hurt reflecting in his eyes.

"The fuck is wrong with you?!"

"The fuck is wrong with _you_!" I snap back at him.

"We're both guys and here you are, blurting out those three words so casually. Have you fucking thought of the consequences we have to face?!" At that time I swear I've vent out all the anger in me into those words. I know I'm just using us being guys as an excuse to decline his feelings. Truth is, I'm extremely happy to hear those words. I can't wait to lunge myself onto Kagami and kiss him to death. But I chickened out. I pant breathlessly as I glare at Kagami. His startled expression changes into a furious one.

"I don't know what made you so conscious about falling in love, Aomine, but do you think I'm not scared?" He takes a step towards me, furrowing his brows.

"You asked me whether if I've thought about this? I'll give you the answer; I fucking did! I even asked Kuroko and Tatsuya about this! Do you think I'd just blurt out those three words without giving it a thought? I'm not that much of an airhead you fucktard!" Kagami latches his fists onto my collar, yanking me forward so he can sneer into my face. I stare at his indignant eyes with the same amount of indignant.

"Guess what? You fucking are." I scowl and give his face a solid punch. He breaks away from the grip and stumbles backward, cupping the swollen area. Don't push me any further, Kagami. I don't want to do this. You're not entitled to this. Stop. Give up after this punch.

But Kagami's Kagami, he's not good at giving up. He shoots his head back up and glares at me before dashing at my direction, a punch readied at his side before he sends the blow to my left cheek. It fucking stings and it did the job of pulling my mind away from the forlorn memories of her. A very good job. I launch back at him right after I stumbled a few steps, hitting his cheek with another fist.

And so, a supposedly peaceful dusk turns out to be a fiery fight night. We exchange punches and head butts, kicks and knees until the very last of our stamina. We collapse to the old pavement ground, catching our breath as our heads lie side by side, our body each took the east and west.

The scuffle actually helped clear my head. The releasing of my stress into punches, and a partner who can withstand those attacks also at the same time return them to punch some senses into me. My breathing pace starts to regulate. Despite being on par with me in basketball, Kagami's stamina's still a cut lower than me. _Sucker._ I muse in my head as he continues to catch his breath. I let there be a moment of quiescent before speaking.

"I had a girlfriend once," I start and glance Kagami's way. Kagami immediately looks at me, his eyes enlarging in surprise. I chuckle and look back up at the orange sky.

"It was when I'm still at Teikou." I continue and tell him the whole story. I tell him how beautiful she was, receiving a face of jealousy from Kagami. How I enjoyed my time with her, Kagami turns his head away. And then the happy moments ebbed away. I describe how I was a dick to her when I bloomed at basketball gradually.

"You're still one." He intervenes while looking at me with a smirk. I give his cheek a light pull and tell him not to cut in when I'm reminiscing the past. I take his silence as an okay.

I tell him she still stayed by my side even though I've started to treat her badly and how I owe her so much for doing that. How I yelled at her just because I was in a shitty mood and she still insisted on being with me. Kagami gives a look of admiration at the mention of that. And then I tell him how I hurt her feelings by saying I was just playing with her. I explain I was just trying to protect her from getting hurt further but Kagami's face tells me otherwise.

"Still, you didn't have to say that." Kagami frowns in disapproval. "And that's not it, is it." His comment sounds more like a confirmation than an assumption.

At first I stare at him with unfazed eyes, making him slightly embarrass for sounding so sure about something he wasn't involved in, but what he doesn't know is my mind is actually busy processing over the fact how Kagami reads me so well. I hold the stare for a solid five seconds before I close my eyes and turn back to the gloaming sky.

"Yeah." I admit slowly. "I was scared."

I couldn't see Kagami's expression at that time but I can sense him hitching his breath when I finished my sentence. It seems hard for him to believe I actually admitted I was scared right in his face(not literally but just, along the lines). I'm surprised by myself too. Normally I wouldn't but something about Kagami just makes me blurt everything out. It feels good actually, to come out clean to someone about something that's been hidden in me for a long time. My lips slip into a smile.

Kagami doesn't say more after I've confirmed his doubt, keeping quiet and doing a great job in maintaining his breathing pace slow and calm. I take it as an attempt to not create any disturbance for me. I did tell him not to cut in while I'm reminiscing the past. I chuckle and it shocked Kagami because he's holding his breath in again. _Ah, he's just too adorable._

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" I open my eyes, welcoming the warm colors of the skies as a soothing medicine before shifting to face Kagami again. "C'mon, comfort the one you like." I tease with a childish snicker, receiving a flushed face Kagami and an annoyed frown.

"Asshole." He mumbles.

"Now that's not very comforting." I feign hurt.

"Whatever." He turns to the sky, the stubborn frown still on his forehead. I snort as I too face the same sky, still smiling.

Another breeze comes greeting us. The fallen leaves dance away from the ground noisily before landing back down smoothly after the wind has passed.

"I'm not a girl." Kagami says.

"I know." I sigh out.

"I'm not gonna be easily hurt." Kagami says with an octave higher.

"I know." I say as I close my eyes, stretching the smile.

"I don't need your protection." Kagami sounds offended.

"I know." I say with a smaller voice.

"If anything," I hear clothes shuffling and the darkness I see becomes darker, puffs of hot air start to mingle with mine. I pry my eyes open and see Kagami's face centimeters away from mine. He is propping his upper body up with an elbow while leaning his head to hover above me. He still has the scowl, a determined one this time. "I will protect you."

I widen my eyes at his words. I'm not some weakling who needs protection. I'm a huge guy for fuck's sake. Yet, Kagami's words struck me like an arrow, hitting a part deep inside me with perfect accuracy. I never knew, until now, that I needed this. Someone to rely on. I've been on my own for too long that I've forgotten about the calmness in relying on someone's that trustworthy. No wonder I'm always grumpy. The fear was eating me alive, there were no calmness in me back then. But I've found it now.

"Bakagami. Don't get cocky." I smirk and my hand finds a way to snake behind Kagami's neck before I pull him down for a kiss. Kagami hisses a breath as our lips touch, my palm getting warm from his blush that spread to his neck. I soften the kiss and soothes Kagami with my gaze, telling him it's okay. Soon his eyelids drop and so do mine as he finally relaxes to my kiss. Without breaking the kiss, I prop myself up just like how Kagami did to adjust our lips into perfect alignment before tilting it so I can feel more of Kagami's soft lips.

Our kiss is slow and rhythmic which contains gentle nips and the circling of my thumb around the small of Kagami's neck, other fingers tangled in Kagami's fiery locks. We share some open-mouthed kisses here and there but we never did more than that. We pull back begrudgingly after we're finally out of breath, I pull Kagami's lower lip along the way, releasing it later as we glue our foreheads together. This was how my first kiss with her went. Slow and gentle. Wait, I shouldn't be thinking about her right now. What's important is the one in front of me currently. Kagami. Not her. Not anymore.

I open my eyes first and I'm glad I did. Kagami still has his eyes comfortably closed, his lips slightly puckered from the kiss and ajar, eliciting uneven breathing with his head lowered. His hand that somehow grabbed onto my shoulder still has a vice grip on me tee. His whole body is trembling if one looked closer. I believe it's from the pleasure, hopefully. The best part is as if his whole body was burning under the twilight. The blush on Kagami's cheeks, ears and neck never fade from the start of our kiss.

I move my hand from his neck to caress his cheek. Kagami opens his eyes slowly after the touch, meeting my gaze more boldly this time.

"I was supposed to be the first one to confess but you beat me to it." I smirk then continue. "Guess this is something you win me in." Bravery. Of course I left out the last part. Kagami had enough ego-boost today. For ever, even. There's no way I'd let Kagami get so full of himself if not where should I stand?

Kagami beams me a grin. I can see his ego boosting already so…

"Ah, rephrase: The _only _thing you will win me in." I grin playfully. Kagami immediately understood what I've implied and swats my hand away before standing up furiously with his unique eyebrows scowled again.

"I'll beat you in basketball, too! One day! You'll see, Ahomine!" He fumes and turns his back on me before stomping to the bench. I have no idea why he's heading towards there since I'm certain we didn't bring any bags. At least I didn't. Whatever. I should stop with the thinking, it really doesn't suit me at all.

I spring up from the pavement and jog towards my new lover before clinging an arm around him like how I did in our second encounter.

"I haven't say this but," I lean closer to his ear. "I like you, too."

Kagami's ear heats up again and he stays as a statue for a while before he pecks my cheek. Huh? Eh? Eh?! W-When did he— I didn't even see him turn his head!

Color goes to my cheeks as I stare at Kagami's victorious grin. Now it's me that turned into a statue. Smiling so triumphantly just because he made me blush, is he a little kid or something?! I face my head away from Kagami and hide my blush with a palm covering half of my face.

_Ah, shit, I really love Kagami._

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A/N: This is the longest one-shot I've ever written so hope you guys find it interesting. Thank you for reading!


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